The Valley of the Shadow of Death
by Heaven O. Waits
Summary: Sequel to Fantastic Voyage.  A Batman Bruce Wayne and Catwoman Selina Kyle series.  A new twist on a weapon of mass destuction from a valley of the past...Silicon Valley.
1. Chapter 1

Psalm 23 A Psalm of David

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the the paths of the righteousness for his names sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me;thy rod andd thy staff they comfort me."

~Valley of the Shadow of Death 1~

Alfred's hands shook as he dialed the line on accessible through Wayne Wireless. The signal was weak and filled with static. He finally made out a garbled "Here" and "not now" and the word "pirates." He fumbles changing channels and sputters that he has been detained on the way to the base. He explains that a man had blocked the road with the engine up waving for a push out of the way.

A hand now flashes in front of his face in a forward winding motion to hurry it up.

More garbled noise.

"This gentlemen was scheduled to meet with you today. He says the danger isn't over military weapons of mass destruction sir."

Louder static.

"Sir if you can hear me. He says the problem is over something larger."

Then the signal was lost as Alfred sat idling miles from base with a older man wearing a large brimmed Yankess ball cap,large dark lensed glasses and a common plain tan overcoat.

"What did he say?" the passenger asked nervously shifting his gaze side to side then at the passenger mirror.

"He didn't respond. We were on a weak signal. I can try again sir."

"We don't have time to waste! I thought he was you. All my sources linked the money trail to you. It seems you spend the money, usually shop, why you even pay the land-line by cash in person. Who does that anymore? I have to get out of here!"

"Wait sir. I know someone who can help."

Trump now laughs insanely "Help? You have no idea what we are up against. You have no idea of their capabilities, you have no idea of their POWER!" He laughs again grabbing the door handle.

"They are bigger than you can possibly fathom, they know more secrets than GOD, they have infilitrated every domicile, automobile, cell phone, wallet and purse to the very crib you once lied your infant head. They know everything, even the military, the federal reserve, our very president's every detail from birth till now, they will know soon that I was here."

Alfred grabs the man's shoulder. "Wait please. She is very good. She is Batman's right hand. She can help."

He nods no but Alfred hands him a card and writes down her number in it. Trump looks at it quickly then jumps out the door never stopping to look back he only yells " burn that note! Never leave a paper trail!" He runs to his car slams the hood down and vanishes down the road. 


	2. Chapter 2

~Valley of the Shadow of Death 2~

Rough draft sneak peek ...this is just some ideas I wanted to get typed out...It is not finished yet...

~ Proverbs 8~

1-"Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice?  
2-She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of paths.  
3-She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.  
4-Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to to you the sons of man.  
5-O ye simple, understand wisdom: and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.  
6-Hear; for I will speak of excellent things and the opening of my lips shall be right things.  
7-My mouth shall speak turth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.  
8-All the words of my mouth are in rightousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

~2~

Trump did contact Oracle from a payphone and set up a location to meet. On the back row of St. Patrick's Cathedral he sat head bowed in prayer. His bald spot glistened with sweat as he mumbled to GOD. The rest of the church was empty.  
The good news is the world was not about to blown to smithereens, the bad news was all over the tv, radios, cells and laptops that LexCorp stopped the war!"

He turns holding a bible and begins his lengthy tale of the company LEXCORP.

Oracle shakes her head constantly struggling to argue with what he was saying. Her eyes hold sadness in them when he finishes.

"We have to take Lex Luthor down! This whole time I thought it was over the Death Ray!" she yells.

Trump leans back and stares up at Jesus on the cross. "No. The Death Ray is nothing compared to Lex Luthor. He is invincible."

Oracle'e eyes now became slits and a evil grin appears on her cherubic face. "No one is invincible! I can get into their system."

"No you can't. His company has the best anti-hack system on the planet. No one has been able to get in! EVER!"

"Well I haven't tried yet!" she said defiantly.

He laughs again. "Their firewalls have firewalls lined by more firewalls. The best you will do is sound an alarm and get yourself noticed. If and I mean if you manage to escape they will find you!"

He eyes her clothes.

Her eyes her glasses.

"Even if you managed to get out of there, they would find you and..."

He eyes her hair and smells her perfume.

"Oh yes they will find you easily.

He leans and looks at her shoes.

"I could track you within minutes!"

"How?"

"Easy. Everything about you leaves a giant trail. You do everything they want. You live blindly like the rest of the poor blind mice." He rubs his bald spot with his handkerchief.  
"See your shoes for instance. Tracking. See you glasses, tracking, See you hair products that you buy, tracked, see you clothing tracked...They can even grab your file and know what your patterns are. If you go every tuesday and buy a chocolate mocha latte skim. They know what specific bills of cash you use as they are tracked, your credit cards, just as easy. Your car, tracked, your tv programs, tracked. That driving ID, it started out being called "marketing" but that was when the beast was only a baby beast. Now it is full grown and controls the entire planet."

Oracle looks down at her shoes and clothes.

"The only thing they may not know right away is if someone happened to make you something natural. From living things. A sweater for example,or pottery,, even food from a garden, or perhaps a bouquet from wildflowers... basic settler stuff and even that if sent to a lab contains specific trace elements that if given the right equipment could pinpoint it. Why even dust can be specific enough to just one home. Not to mention they can monitor you from above. Anytime you are outside they are watching. Anything else they can track. They can wipe you off the planet within minutes if you piss them off."

"You mean as in kill?"

"Oh yes. They usually prefer to just destroy your other self. The binary code of you, your twin. They can do that in seconds. Buy a house, seconds, buy a boat, seconds, max out cards, seconds, plant a note on a email so your wife will read from your secretary saying how nice last night was...seconds."

"That's crazy but you managed to survive."

"Yeah. But barely and only because I know what to do. I had years in their world to figure out how things were done." Trump slumps. "My son's wife wasn't so lucky!"

He fidgets his posture and looks around the church. He leans closer. "I never pay in cash. Coins actually."

"Coins?"  
"Yeah. It was my salvation. Coins!" He slides closer to her in the pew sliding a bible back in its holder.

"My great grandfather started the tradition, then my grandfather took his collection and added to it then my father and then I began adding as a child. By the time I had retired I had amassed a small fortune. It broke my heart to part with the very first coin. But you get used to it. The coins are my wave of surviving another day. Sometimes I wonder if my old great grandfather knew. If some how way back then he had figured it out." He tosses his head side to side.

"But you just said all things are traceable." Oracle says tilting her head.

He nods "Very good. You do pay attention. I see now why my son likes you. Coins are not as readily traced. Old coins especially but I never sell them in person. I have a list of coin friends who sell them on a commision then take their cut and give me my share. I then leave them a list of things I need from my cut and have them buy it with cash. It looks just as if they bought the groceries, they bought the supplies. Most never have seen me. I convince them I am old, a invalid with a voracious appetite to buy coins on the internet."

"Doesn't anyone get suspicious? You have been a rabbit for years. and did you say your son likes me?"

"Oh no one is suspicous. You have no idea of how many coin collectors there are. I slip right into the masses undetected."

He turns toward her and opens his palm.

"Here."

He places in her hand a coin. "This is for good luck!"

Oracle palms the coin. "Thanks!" She looks at it quickly then darts her eyes back to Trump.

"So they abuse their power and make people their pawns. I assume those with the most money are the most abused. They can easily manipulate them with their knowledge, black mail them with thier power. They started the war we are having right now."

"Not bad kid. But your forgetting the most powerful entities are not people but groups, establishments, fundamental institutions that the people trust. The full house in this deck of cards is the war department, the treasury,the judicial system, the health department...soon guess where our private records are going? Not back in the folders held in the usual facility but all online... Next the school's have been infiltrated as computer classes now replace Home Economic's, the wave of our future, our children now pawns in this dangerous game of chess. And the Ace card, the very source that birthed the virus to society..It all began in Silicon Valley."

"I know about Silicon Valley in Santo Claro and the birth of Apple and Microsoft. I saw the movie also The Pirates of Silcon Valley!"

"Well the age of the creation of the computer changed the face of the globe. Oh. Don't get me wrong. The planet since the dawn of man has had vikings, war mongers, gladiators, soldiers of death, and the ever present spies, cut throats, the days of man will always be filled with espionage, with treason, with selling our souls to the devil but the birth of the PC opened the very gates of hell."

Trump now bows his head again in silence appearing to pray. "Are you religious?"

"I am."

"Good. What we are dealing with is the apocolyspe. Lex Luthor has the ability to wage wars, to spread famine...Oh. Yes. Easily. He can control our vendors, our products, are pharmaceuticals, our vaccines. Every company relies on him for input on what to sell, what the public want, how much. He has amassed his puppets. He can poison our youth simply by breathing. He has tossed his virus to take over the world, the seven plaques, the seven bowels...I see it now. I pray that we may see another day. No one but GOD himself is entitled to that kind of power."

He walks and heads to an atrium and puts some coins in a metal box and lights a candle.

Oracle follows in silence turning the old coin over and over inside her palm.

"I can get you inside but I cannot guarantee your safety. The whole place is under the highest security. We are talking not just camera's and armed guards but thermal detecting equipment, lazer beams, weight scales on the floor that monitor even the employees weight upon leaving. One man was detained for pocketing some pens. Everyone is watched and only the guardians have the pass codes for the main frame computers. Their log in and log outs are at all times, monitored. I don't know how you can possible shut the queen bee down."

Oracle turns to him grinning.

"I know how. I will have someone steal her honey"

He laughs. "Steal her codes? Impossible! The hive is guarded with back up alarms and a protocol of defense. Besides the guardians, the Queen is surrounded by other teams of guards. They are called drones. You won't be able to get anywhere near their Queen."

"I think I can with with the help from an old aquaintance and new ones... I am sure this can be done!"

"A suicide mission? A Hari Kari...Well why not? I mean let's try it. The world is falling apart now. We could be dead by nightfall. Why not?" Trump says squinting his eyes in a chuckle.

Oracle laughs. "So LexCorp starts a war then makes the world believe that are the saviors."

"Yep. And they are not saviors. I fore-see a great deal of blackmailing before this is over. Lex Luthor will do a bit of inside trading secrets, fraudent rumors, and deadly finger pointing to any country, any military group, why even one single poor soul to dump this bag of stinking mess. People would contribute greatly to help catch a terrorist but if told they were the terrorist, why who knows to what ends a man or group will go to save their very soul from the devil."

He leans toward the candle. "Can you imagine going down in history as the alleged terrorist group member? Why I see that his billions will soon be unfathomable."

Oracle stares into the flame. "There has to be a way to prove he is setting everyone up against themselves!"

Trump stares at the tiny votive candle flickering.  
"So far no one has been able to stop it. They either respect him or they fear him. I fear him. He is the most powerful man on Earth. He has unlatched Pandora's box. Soon he will have every human kneeling before him. Like I said. He can simply erase your life. He can either kill you or your twin either way you are dead."

"How can a serial killer or mass genocide advocate stay within the realms of the law?"

He heads toward the exit with Oracle beside him.  
"Because first no one would dare take him to court second even if one were brave enough to make it to trial he would have the judge and every jury swayed before the opening statement was made. He knows evereything. I am not talking just the jury like the movie Runaway jury with Dustin Hoffman, John Cusack and Gene Hackman I am talking he knows how to make them scream for mercy. Every dark secret, every detail of their personal lives, their most prized possessions, he can wreck a life in an instant... why he would stoop to threaten children. If you were a parent and forced to choose between the truth or your children's lives what would you do? We are in the palm of his hand. He can even stage a murder of a trial member with a nod. He can make it so believable as he knows every detail of just about everyone on the planet. Oh don't get me wrong he would never do the deed himself but he would plan it out. He can easily find out people's flaws, make it so believable that even the innocent person would doubt their own sanity. He knows all your secrets. He knows all your vices, he knows all your past mistakes and can speculate or stage your future re-lapses. He knows just whom to pin it on. We are a story board for him to pick and choose what the ending will be."

"I never thought what an open book we are. I never thought some one could have this kind of power and how if misused how deadly if can be. He is a muderer! He must be stopped!" Oracle yells pocketing the coin snugly in her pocket.

Trump stands in the doorway."Once again Cochran, prove it!"

"I shall! But first let's go get the Queen!"

"Slow down! You may think your friends are good but Luthor's team is the best. I can tell by your hands, your posture, your attitude that you have no idea what we are up against."

Oracle stops and places her hands on her hips and straightens up in defiance. " I know what we are up against! I also know a few people. They are young and experienced in this. They are not the usual posers of rebellious bored teens but creative and brilliant kids who know the latest software, know the lingo. If you throw one into LexCorp that is oldschool and they so much as type in just one dash incorrectly then the hive will send out a swarm instantly and move the hive to a new area for safety. In geek language you get stung! The female bees who guard the hives will attack you. They will as in real life use their only stinger to die leaving you infected and reeking of phermones. In other words,you and your friends will be sought out with a big fat death warrant until destroyed! That bee will die slowly meaning that link will disintegrate but continue to pulse into your bloodstream her poison...I GET IT!"

"WOW!" Trump says trying to close his mouth from dangling.

Oracle relaxes. " For now we just need to try to get access. Access to the one system that has never been hacked. For this I need help from a fairy tale world filled with dragons and dungeons. For that I am off to see the WHIZARD."

"Wizard?"

Oracle nods. "Yeah but he spells it w-h-i-z-a-r-d. He is known in the east coast to be the best. I found him through the chat rooms for hackers, super-users, rooters, phreaks, codeslingers, freeware civilians and warez traders. He created a MUD that only the best can join. That group is for exceptional gamers. There are few rules in the city of Avalon. They once battled against each other and reigned in kingdoms. They all eventually fell to the Whizard. He is that good. He is like their dragonmaster in D&D. He finally ended up bored from all his team-mates losing and decided to allow them deeds. To stay they must bring him things to prove themselves worthy. Now they bring him proof of hacks. It became a game now for his favor. The kids want to show him they are loyal and to gain bragging rights. They started to hack into the hardest systems. Two even created a system that changed life in Avalon. It allows you access to any system. The call it Merlin. In the old days the only way to send a virus was via a email attachement or to physically sneek in someone's home and get in their pc. Now they proved to the whizard that they can do it from home in a few clicks. He made them his Knights of the Round Cables. They now consist of about a dozen kids. Each kid is a genius and fast to adapt to the daily changing systems on the web. These kids live by their computers. It is their back yard. The most active are the three smush_kateers or screen name's LAn-ZeaLOT/XD , BeOwulV#u and XxGuinEVerEsmartzxX. If I can can brag enough that these kids can't possible get into this system, they may bite. The Whizard may even take a look."

Trump shrugs and sighs looking at Oracle."You are a bonafide nerd?"

Oracle grins and shoves her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "Yes! and we can use a disposable system for ICQ. If they get pissed off and want to send me a little welcome to the neighborhood gift I need to make sure it will not reach my real server. I think they will be leary of a newbie and try to trace me with the response times in my anonymizer. I don't want to lose a second. I will program it to cease. They will be impressed that my time reads 00:00 p.m. If I can gain their interest in some packets they will sniff next ... maybe they will let me in. I need their help to design a Kludge. If we can get in we may be able to locate the source code for LexCorp. I will create a new apk game called Apocolypse and see if they want to join. We need them! We need Merlin!"

Trump walks out the church door whistling and singing softly "We're off the see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!"


	3. Chapter 3

~Back at the Watch Tower~

Oracle gets a response. She smiles and shoves her glasses up typing frantically on her keyboard then prompts her computer to follow her instructions not be key-logging but by her voice prompts. She set this up to deter the first test. It is a Black-bag cryptanalysis.

In cryptography, black-bag cryptanalysis is a euphemism for the acquisition of cryptographic secrets via burglary, or the covert installation of keystroke logging. Right now she was sure she was being watched, surrounded, interrogated. Her walls are up as their trojan horse software/hardware targets her computer and ancillary devices. She has to move fast. She had prepared for their search to monitor the electromagnetic emissions of computer displays or keyboards from a distance of 20 metres (perhaps more), and thereby decode what has been typed. This could be done by surveillance technicians, or via some form of a nasty bug concealed nearby.

Oracle stops when another message appears. Well done. Who are you? What do you want?

She speaks "I have a game. One that requires the best. It involves multiple parts or else I would simply do it on my own. If you don't think you can handle it. I understand."

She waits.

Meet me at link- Avalon-game/chat/hiddenpath~0~ ||24107\\\live.

This is where it's sink or swim. Oracle touches the link in the hopes it is not a trap.

She settles in as the members name appear on her screen. Her name appears as RedSonjaofHyrkania

Greetings and Welcom to Avalon. The WHiZard types.

"Greetings to you. I come in peace and hope in good faith. No need to send Cain and Able."

Cain & Abel is a password recovery tool for Microsoft Operating Systems. It allows easy recovery of various kind of passwords by sniffing the network, cracking encrypted passwords using Dictionary, Brute-Force and Cryptanalysis attacks, recording VoIP conversations, decoding scrambled passwords, recovering wireless network keys, revealing password boxes, uncovering cached passwords and analyzing routing protocols.

The Whizard types We are above rubbernosing in our private chat RED_SONJAOFHyrkania.

Oracle recalls when that term first surfaced into the civilain world in the case of United States v. Scarfo in which FBI agents using a "sneak and peek" search warrant placed a keystroke logger on an alleged criminal gang leader.

He types her first question. WHo is our father?

Oracle chuckles and types frantically Alan Turing the great British mathematician, logician and cryptanalyst. She typed his Turing machine and the Enigma machine.

Correct. The whizard types

Next question is What is the Diffie Hellman key exchange scheme?

Oracle types is when each party generates a public/private key pair and distributes the public key. After obtaining an authentic copy of each other's public keys, subject A and subject B can compute a shared secret offline. The shared secret can be used as the key for a symmetric cipher. It transforms a written message into a form that can be read only by the intended recipient. This cryptographic approach involves the use of asymmetric key algorithms ."

Correct" The WHizard types then "the use of these keys also allows protection of the authenticity of a message by creating a digital signature of a message using the private key, which can be verified using the public key. I am giving you the key to enter the gates to the Emerald City. You may now enter RED_SONJA.

Oracle wait for her key. Only the holder of the paired private key can decrypt. Security depends on the secrecy of that private key.

She enters and reads the (1)Cyber punk facebook manifesto. It is the belief in Libertarian Transhumansim. He eyes scan her lengthy Prelude which reads:

Political Cyberpunk theory is that people should be able to communicate with each other affordably rather than having to phreak the phone system in order to do it. They believe that access to the "Matrix" (e.g., the WORLDWIDEWEB) should be available to everybody rather than forcing people to "hack" in order to get on it. Some, like the "cypherpunks," are trying to educate people about using public-key cryptography so that they can protect the privacy of their messages from corporate and governmental prying eyes. Others try and write free software and source code (like the Free Software Foundation) or "Freenets" so people can gain access to computer resources over the nets."

A Cyberpunk Manifesto:

Society

1/ The Society which surrounds us is clogged with conventionalism, pulling everything and everybody to itself, while it sinks slowly in the quicksands of time.  
2/ However doggedly some refuse to believe it; it is obvious that we live in a sick society. The so called reforms which our governments so adeptly use to boast are nothing else but a little step forward, when a whole jump can be done.  
3/ People fear the new and unknown. They prefer the old, the known and checked truths. They are afraid of what the new can bring to them. They are afraid that they can lose what they have.  
4/ Their fear is so strong that it has proclaimed the revolutionaries -a foe, and the free idea - its weapon.  
5/ People must leave this fear behind and go ahead. What's the sense to stick to the little you have now when you can have more tomorrow. Everything they must do is stretch their hands and feel for the new; give freedom to thoughts, ideas, to words:  
6/ For centuries each generation has been brought up is a same pattern. Ideals are what everybody follows. Individuality is forgotten. People think in a same way, following the clich drilled in them in childhood, the clich -education for all children: And, when someone dares defy authority, he is punished and given as a bad example. "Here is what happens to you when you express your own opinion and deny your teacher's one".  
7/ Our society is sick and needs to be healed. The cure is a change in the system...

The System

1/ The System. Centuries-old, existing on principles that hang no more today. A System that has not changed much since the day of its birth.  
2/ The System is wrong.  
3/ The System must impose its truth upon us so that it can rule. The government needs us follow it blindly. For this reason we live in an informational eclipse. When people acquire information other that that from the government, they cannot distinguish the right from the wrong. So the lie becomes a truth - a truth, fundamental to everything else. Thus the leaders control with lies and the ordinary people have no notion of what is true and follow the government blindly, trusting it.  
4/ We fight for freedom of information. We fight for freedom of speech and press. For the freedom to express our thoughts freely, without being persecuted by the system.  
5/ Even in the most-developed and 'democratic' countries, the system imposes misinformation. Even in the countries that pretend to be the cradle of free speech. Misinformation is one of the system's main weapons. A weapon, they use very well.  
6/ It is the Net that helps us spread the information freely. The Net, with no boundaries and information limit 7/ Ours is yours, yours is ours.  
8/ Everyone can share information, no restrictions.  
9/ Encrypting of information is our weapon. Thus the words of revolution can spread uninterrupted, and the government can only guess.  
10/ The Net is our realm, in the Net we are Kings.  
11/ Laws. The world is changing, but the laws remain the same. The System is not changing, only a few details get redressed for the new time, but everything in the concept remains the same.  
12/ We need new laws. Laws, fitting the times we live in, with the world that surrounds us. Not laws build on the basis of the past. Laws, build for today, laws, that will fit tomorrow.  
13/ The laws that only refrain us. Laws that badly need revision.

The vision

1/ Some people do not care much about what happens globally. They care about what happens around them, in their micro-universe.  
2/ These people can only see a dark future, for they can only see the life they live now.  
3/ Others show some concern about the global affairs. They are interested in everything, in the future in perspective, in what is going to happen globally.  
4/ They have a more optimistic view. To them the future is cleaner and more beautiful, for they can see into it and they see a more mature man, a wiser world.  
5/ We are in the middle. We are interested in what happens now, but also in what happens tomorrow.  
6/ We look in the net, and the net is growing wide and wider.  
7/ Soon everything in this world will be swallowed by the net: from the military systems to the PC at home.  
8/ But the net is a house of anarchy.  
9/ It cannot be controlled and in this is its power.  
10/ Every man will be dependent on the net.  
11/ The whole information will be there, locked in the abysses of zeros and ones.  
12/ Who controls the net, controls the information.  
13/ We will live in a mixture of past and present.  
14/ The bad comes from the man, and the good comes from technology.  
15/ The net will control the little man, and we will control the net.  
16/ For if you do not control, you will be controlled.  
17/ The Information is POWER!

Where are we?

1/ Where are we?  
2/ We all live in a sick world, where hatred is a weapon, and freedom - a dream.  
3/ The world grows so slowly. It is hard for a Cyberpunk to live in an underdeveloped world, looking the people around him, seeing how wrongly they develop.  
4/ We go ahead, they pull us back again. Society suppresses us. Yes, it suppresses the freedom of thought. With its cruel education programs in schools and universities. They instill in the children their view of things, and every attempt to express a different opinion is denied and punished.  
5/ Our kids grow educated in this old and still unchanged system. A system that tolerates no freedom of thought and demands a strict obedience to the rules...  
6/ In what a worlds, how different from this, could we live now, if people were making jumps and not creeps.  
7/ It is so hard to live in this world, Cyberpunk.  
8/ It is as if time has stopped.  
9/ We live on the right spot, but not in the right time.  
10/ Everything is so ordinary, people are all the same, their deeds too. As if society feels an urgent need to live back in time.  
11/ Some, trying to find their own world, the world of a Cyberpunk, and finding it, build their own world. Build in their thoughts, it changes reality, lays over it and thus they live in a virtual world. The thought-up, build upon reality:  
12/ Others simply get accustomed to the world as it is. They continue to live in it, although they dislike it. They have no other choice but the bare hope that the world will go out of its hollow and will go ahead.  
13/ What we are trying to do is change the situation. We are trying to adjust the present world to our needs and views. To use maximally what is fit and to ignore the trash. Where we can't, we just live in this world, like Cyberpunks, no matter how hard, when society fights us we fight back.  
14/ We build our worlds in Cyberspace.  
15/ Among the zeros and ones, among the bits of information.  
16/ We build our community. The community of Cyberpunks.

General Political Views: Network Anarchism (net to be uncontrolled and untouched from governmental corruption). The notion of Libertarian Transhumansim is also a general consideration.

"Many of the cyberpunk culture are hackers, crackers, and phreakers. Some do not engage in those activities but believe in spreading information about them because their manifesto is that "information wants to be free." Political Cyberpunk theory is that people should be able to communicate with each other...

Do you wish to join us?

Oracle signs and agrees..

A huge animated screen lights up filled with millions of faces all saying in their language Welcome. The screen then goes black and a small spiral appears in the center growing larger until it expands to the edges of the page.

A image of a wizard now appears and his white bearded mouth opens and a enter sign appears. She clicks it. It now commands for her to type in her screen name. She enters it and a dozen flashes of encrypted messages stream across the board. It ends with a flashing link. Follow the link now appears.

Now you have earned my attention. What is it you seek Red Sonja?

Oracle tells the group of Lex Corp. The Whizard responds. There are few secrets in our cyber world. This is one that deeply effects us. We chose to live in a balance. We chose to live freely. It is in this idea that I often sit on the fence while others debate. I do agree that one should safeguard certain things for privacy. To acheive this in our generation you must know how the game's are played. There are ways and in those there are means that are defined easily in numbers. I look after my kingdom and all who dwell here. It is my duty to protect and defend them so to your cause we shall rise.

Oracle responds. *Bows her head * Thank you.

The whizard types back. Now we must deliberate our strategy. Send me what you know and my Knights shall fill in the rest.

Oracle types in *bows respectfully and hands him a scroll.* she then attaches to it a link to her document files on all she could find on Lex Corp and S.T.A.R. Labs.

(1) A Cyberpunk Manifesto Christian A. Kirtchev February 14, 1997 


	4. Chapter 4

rough draft notes...this is not finished...just wanted to get ideaswritten down...

~Valley of the Shadow of Death 3~

Batman's face glows a eery blue as he leans forward typing diligently on his keyboard. He begins methodically at the beginning. He searches public records for Lex's birth, his parents, siblings and children. Birth name Alexander Luthor. Brother Julian died in infancy. Mother and father deceased. He next searches his education, vocations and then his career. He types .gov/html/dof/html/property/property_rec_ He searches LexCorp records beginning with the order founded in the deed registry. His eyes widen as the lists grows longer on his screen. He leans closer arching his brows at Lex Luthor's myriad of conquests that span almost every avenue of industry in Gotham.

Lex Corp founded in 1989. President Lex Luthor expanded within the first year into garbage and waste management, pharmaceuticals, weaponry manufactured for military, Luthor food chains, Luthor photography LLC,commercial property in which many were made into PUD developments, others that are mined, Building investments in the lower east side where he refurbished and now rents out almost an entire block, small airline fleet, small boating franchise that charters scuba and fishing, and he actually co-owns Gotham's hospital. He donated one building for the a firehouse and paid for a complete renovation and brand new vehicles and gear.

Batmans clicks to another screen and views PROPEX. He types in Lex Luthor's full name. He finds hundreds of properties he has purchased. It appears his residence is now at the penthouse of the Gotham Towers. He looks for a clue. He stops his curser above last years exorbitant land purchase near Lake Gotham of over 100 acres. He gets a topography map of the area. Various hills and valleys, lakes, streams and two dams. He narrows the search again to fauna. Nothing until he finds a article with Luthor as the target about endangered species of animal protesters and wildlife activists. Luthor was quoted as saying he was in the process of working with the parks and recreation of Gotham to merge into a common area to be used for nature enthusiasts, hikers, campers, birdwatchers, kayakers but the people interviewed said he was clear cutting and worse opening up the old mines farther south and near the quarry digging again. They said it would have a devestating effect on the land that had finally shown signs of re-growth.

He scrolls to another articles that a park ranger reported two headed trout and newts with peeling skin. Along with reports of fewer hatched birds and the eggs found in nests were too thin and few. Activists commented that the deforestation and runoff from the mines had ruined their shelters and food and water sources. A biologists commented he found traces of sulfur and molybdenum in the water.

He pulls up an element chart of chemical elements showing the element and symbol, the atomic number and the atomic weight. He focuses on the most stable isotopes.

Many paper mills were closed down by the EPA after traces of sulfur were found dumped into the rivers. It is also found in chemical companies, in rubber vulcanization and in skin disease treatment. He types sulfa drugs.

Batmans shoulder and neck muscles tighten as he grinds his teeth in anger. (This guy is good. Every avenue he invests in has a potentially devastating product that also has a potentially saving aspect. If attacked to shut any down... He has science and medicine to back him up on its necessary uses. Biochemist could argue the lethal extremities and effects to the people and planet and lose. He gets to play good guy and bad guy...The only difference is, I KNOW he is a bad guy!)

Bruce traces the river on the map with his finger. "This heads straight into the heart of Gotham."

Batman types about mining for the area and finds it was once heavily mined twenty years ago. He switches to epidemics in the area.

14.H1N1 Is Still Spreading Globally ...has declared the swine flu outbreak a national...allowing hospitals and local governments...sites for treatment and triage of any surge...however, to increase concerns, disruptions and at times, panicky...On Sunday, swine flu reached high into...

October 26, 2009 - By JACKIE CALMES and DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.; Jackie Calmes reported from Washington, and Donald G. McNeil Jr. from New York. Brian Knowlton in Washington, Crystal Yednak in Chicago and Holli Chmela in Fairfax, Va., contributed reporting. Because of an editing error, a previous version of this article misstated the number of Paris Saint-German soccer players who have contracted swine flu. - U.S. - 779 words 15. Fears of Swine Flu Close Three More Schools ...Elmhurst Hospital Center and received a diagnosis of swine flu. The official, Stephen...Correction Department and the Department of Health...new inmate for symptoms and checking prisoners who seek medical attention for swine flu, no matter why they...

May 16, 2009 - By ANEMONA HARTOCOLLIS and JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ; Reporting was contributed by James Barron, David W. Chen

Batman researches swine flu and influenza epidemics. Lex controls most of our vaccines. These viruses are very contagious and attack the body fast. The influenza virus occurs suddenly with fever, exhaustion, severe aches and pains and the inflammation of the respiratory tract.

Bonds, 58, Enemy of Mountaintop-Removal Coal Mining, Dies ...the stream by the house where his coal -mining family had lived for generations, Judy...environmental activists, politicians, mining company officials, industry regulators...movement to stop mountaintop-removal coal mining. Ms. Bonds died of cancer &mdash...

January 15, 2011 - By DENNIS HEVESI - Obituaries

2.E.P.A. Issues Rules to Limit Water Pollution From Mining ...of the most contentious coal mining techniques used across Appalachia...cited evolving science on the effects of mountaintop removal mining, an aggressive form of coal...This is not about ending coal mining. This is about ending coal...

Batman leans back in this chair in the Bat Cave and rubs his brow. He thinks (Coal...Once America's highest commodity. Coal replaced wood in homes. People in the late 1800's to early 1900's used coal fireplaces to heat their homes...Trains ran on it, boats...Coal was a bit like the gold for the California goldrushers. Coal gas was made by distilling bituminous coal and used for heating. Refined oil like kersosene and the mother of disasters black gold or petroleum. The oily flammable liquid that is so sought after that wars rage over it. Oil hidden down in the earth's strata that is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and the source of our gasoline, lubricants and a raw material of major industry.)

Batman taps his fingers impatiently now on the smooth surface of the concave desk. (gasoline, vaccines, mines, this guy has a plethora of the world's most sought after resources.

Batman types in coaltar: tar obtained by distilling bituminous coal and used in making drugs, dyes and explosives. He rubs his tight neck muscles and clicks to a large photo of Lex .

He continues his search through the global portal of the internet. He pauses only to glance at Alfred arriving with coffee.

April 2, 2010 - By TOM ZELLER Jr. - U.S. - 396 words

Asks Canadian Government to Block BHP Bid for Potash ...government to block a $38.6 billion takeover by the Australian mining company BHP Billiton of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan...apparently made some proposals to minimize those complex tax effects. ''We strongly believe that we can deal with the perceived...

October 21, 2010 - By IAN AUSTEN - Business - 565 words

and Falconbridge Set Merger ...Inc., the large aluminum and natural resources company...Inc., a Canadian mining and refining company, which...Canada. The company also mines and processes numerous other...York, produces aluminum, coal, gold, and molybdenum...

August 3, 1989 - By JONATHAN P. HICKS - Business - 901 words

7. Talking Business with Pierre Gousseland of AMAX ; Pickup Seen In Minerals ...that coming from write-offs and write-downs, principally...largest molybdenum producer, and mines such minerals as nickel, tungsten, silver and phosphates. It is the nation's third- largest coal producer, has big oil interests...View free preview

February 28, 1984 - By Steven Greenhouse - Business - 831 words

; Free the Medical Isotope Bill ...Medical Isotopes Production Act has two sound objectives. It seeks to create domestic capability for making a radioisotope, molybdenum 99, whose decay products are used tens of thousands of times daily in the United States to diagnose cancer, heart disease...

August 16, 2010 - Health - 365 words 3. AMAX TO POSTPONE MOLYBDENUM MINE ...planned development of a controversial molybdenum mine in a mountain overlooking the ski...because of a worldwide oversupply of molybdenum that has forced the company to cut its...percent and curtail other operations. Molybdenum is used to harden steel, and another...View free preview

August 11, 1981 - Business - 338 words With Russian Aid, Iranians Open Their First Nuclear Power Plant ...said, gradually handing over the controls to the Iranians. He also announced that Russia would provide Iran with iodine and molybdenum, nuclear isotopes used in medicine. It was unclear what effect this would have on efforts to dissuade Iran from enriching...

August 22, 2010 - By WILLIAM YONG and ANDREW E. KRAMER; William Yong reported from Tehran, and Andrew E. Kramer from Moscow. - World - 488 words Energy Grants Seek Reliable Source for Diagnostic Aid ...some planned, some not. The isotope, Molybdenum-99, known as Moly-99, produces...its partner Hitachi, wants to put the molybdenum, in a pencil-like shape, on the...be shut down periodically, and the molybdenum filtered out of it. The unused uranium...

January 26, 2010 - By MATTHEW L. WALD - Health - 840 words

Batman reads the preface again. He types URANIUM..."A isotope of 238 or 239...238 isotope of Uranium of mass number 238 that absorbs high energy neutrons to form a uranium isotope to mass number 239 which then decays through neptunim to form plutonium of mass number 239 and 239 is a light isotope of uranium when attacked with low level neutrons changes by rapid fission into smaller atoms with the release of neutrons and ATOMIC ENERGY!

Batman mumbles outloud. "So he can mask his uranium and plutonium growth by saying it is for the cure of cancer? What if it actually does work for cancer also?" He types back iodine and molybdenum uses in medicine. He reads idodine:a nonmetallic usually univalent chemical element that occurs in seawater, seaweeds, and underground brines, is obtained usually as heavy shining blackish gray crystals, and is used especially in medicine, photography, and analysis. A solution in alchohol is used as an antiseptic. He reads more. Iodoform: a yellow crystalline volatile iodine compound that is used as an antiseptic dressing." He moves to potash and potassium uses. Potash: potassium carbonate especially from wood ashes. Potassium hydroxide. Potassium of a potassium compound especially used in agriculture or industry. Potassium bromide: A crystalline salt KBr with a saline taste used as a sedative and in photography. Sedative? He reads on. Potassium cyanide: A very poisonous crystallline salt KCN used in electroplating." (Electroplate what? I know of cyanide coated pills but the very defination of electroplating is to cover with a coating as of metal or rubber by means of elecrolysis...Imagine how many consumer products contain metal and rubber! Hoses? Could this be absorbed into the water inside the hose? Can this be absorbed through contact? Sweat? If in a babies toy it can be ingested. Rubber in tubes in hospitals?) He turns to Alfred. "This guy is really good. Potassium is readly found in nature and especially combined in minerals. He round the one element on the element table with endless uses."

Alfred sets his coffee neatly on the saucer. "Indeed sir. It appears he has succeded thus far undetected. There is more sir."

"More?"

"Indeed Oracle is working with Trump and has uncovered what they call the hive. Lex Corp along with all of this also has a global domination in the computer realm. She said his dossiers contain every document available about people, not just the U.S. She said it took over a rather large marketing firm. They continued their dossiers adding people's personal information. She was quite adament that he has the ability to frame anyone with it's contents."

Batman takes a large gulp and swallows hard. "This ends today!"

Alfred stands and walks away. He has another pot of coffee brewing. He leaves his dearest friend to think.

Batman doesn't turn as Alfred leaves. He is in deep thought. He places his finger to his lips and frowns. He types Potassium nitrate: A crystallline salt KNO3 that occurs as product of nitrificationin soil, is a strong oxidizer, and is used in making gunpowder, in perserving meat, and in medicine-see saltpeter. He types now rapidly potassium chlorate: A crystalline salt KCIO3 that is used as an oxidizing agent in matches, fireworks and explosives."

He bangs his gloves on the table.

He types in Is Windows System 7 an NSA trap door toy?...It sends him a link that it is used to stalk Cryptome under cyber security act nsa microsoft system trap door backdoor privacy spying wiretap patriot 2009 ... and he watches the video .com

He nexts reads up on the Stuxnet worm. The article is lengthy in the New York Times and filled with many questionable theories.

Batman now goes to NASA.

Batman ends up re-reading about Falcoln 9 and Dragonlab set for 2011. Launchsite Cape Canaveral. Mission is set to carry seven humans. He clinches his teeth. He no longer has the help of Lucius. He must ask Toyman to help him spy using project Hummingbird and Drobo. He makes the call to Toyman and explains he needs more intel on more specific data. With Hummingbird and Drobo he can gain visual as well as recorded data stored. He speaks into the headset. "I need to know more about the brief called Falcolns and Dragons. I know Spacex was founded in 2002 and has now over 88 employess. It's main test facility is in Texas and it has launch sites in Canaveral and Kwajalein. It is now working on a launch site at Vandenburg." Toyman offers a better list of fun gadgets to get the job done with an exorbitant price tag. "Done" Batman says and hangs up. (Are we preparing already this year to deploy out for colonization?) He stares at the images of Falcoln 8 and Dragonlab. ( Is the world nearing the end?) He stops when he reads that this company is commercial. He picks up the phone to make a hefty contribution directly to SpaceX after a walk thorough in person. By then Toyman should have his best Bond gadgets hand delivered.

He voice commands "Dial oracle."

"Oracle here."

I plan to take a look into a project called Space x. I think they are starting some sort of colony.

"I found another colony called Tyler. It is an android colony started by Rex Taylor. I also found an ex-employee of Lex Luthor named Professor Thorndike who worked for S.T.A.R labs. Ronald knew about it and explained to me that it began back in 1945 with World War II. The program was then called "Number of the Beast." The program was dismanteled but rumors are that the Doctor safeguarded his latest works to a girl named Jenny. It appears his latest experiments were titles Thrush and Falconette. Ronald said the experimnent was to fight the "seven deadly sins." released by a man named Johnny Sorrow and Desparo.

"Johnny? Wildcat had a run in with him recently. I recall that Sorrow was rumoured to be the leader of the Injustice Society. Wildcat said he got everyone but Sorrow. He also mentioned that Johnny stole a magic item from him.

"What was the item he stole?"

"Wildcat never did say."

"I.

"I know. Bye."

Batman commands voice prompt. "Dial Wildcat."

"Yo! Wildcat here. Whatcha need?"

"What did Johnny Sorrow steal from you and what do you know about S.T.A.R lab."

"Oh.. That.. I was going to tell you but I thought I would catch the guy...Uhh I will meet you. You tell me where."

"At S.T.A.R. lab."

"I thought you would say that."

~In front of Star Lab~

Batman shakes Wildcats beefy hand.

"The item was an ancient Egyptian amulet. It had originally belonged to a man named Kent Nelson. It changed hands over the years until I bought it at an auction. I had no idea at first of the magic that necklace embodied."

"Who was Kent? What does it do?"

"He was a world reknown archaelogist, and son of the legedary Sven Nelson. They were digging in Egypt, along the Valley of the kings when a secret tomb was discovered far back away from the center of the once great city. It was rumoured that his father was cursed from the pharoahs and his son became a fledgling of a mysterious man known as a dark sorcerer named Nabu. Kent by the age of 22 had lost all ties with his past and preferred to only be addressed as the doctor."

"The amulet's owner was never divulged. It was said to have had a shroud of Osiris painted on it. It was wrapped in linen and embalming unguents along with a gold mask. In burial tombs no one should ever move sacred belongings for their journey to the netherworld and this mummy was of wealth. I realized this after much research. It was called a golden collar and given for valor and worn by king, a official for bravery or even a GOD."

He hands Batman a picture.

"It is made of gold and lapis lazuli and weighed twenty pounds. The cartuches are framed by friezes of intricate cobras adorned with sun disks and in the center a winged scarab pushes a sun disk."

"Impressive but what does it do?

"It...It allows one to pass through time...It was used for the burial as an aid to pass to the netherworld...  
it also can teleport you to a parallel world...  
I know this as one night I wore it...  
If my hunch is right the giver of this was from the Valley of the Queens, named Queen Tuya."

"Interesting...only there is a small hole in your story..I know you Ted, you and I have known eachother for years, and you are not an Egyptian artifact collector...this whole mess was started with Selina wasn't it?"

"You already know my answer. So why are we here?"

"I plan on offering S.T.A.R. lab a merger with Wayne Tech."

Meanwhile Selina is busy trying to track down Sorrow. She saunters into the Iceburg lounge attracting every eye as her slinky body glides seductively in shiny black vinyl donned with thigh high stilletto heeled boots. A click clack echos off the walls as she picks up speed and heads directly to a man in a black and white tuxedo. Her nose crinkles at the smell of smoke, vomit, urine and blood. She shoves her way past two brutish guards with ease and plants her pointed shiney boot tip on his chest causing him to lean back in his purple throned chair. His tipped cigarette falls to the ground as his mouth emits a warbled chirp.

"WHERE IS JOHHNY SORROW?"

Virago vis-a`-vis


	5. Chapter 5

~Two to Tango~

Ronald leans closer to her. He can smell the clean smell of soap with just the lightest touch of perfume. He watches as a strand of her red hair slides across her face making her appear even more alluring. The spell is broken when she turns and says "Look at this article on the teachings of Bohm by Geoff Haselhurst on space and ."

Ronald slides the chair on wheels close as she explains " David Bohm's article from 1980- called Wholeness and the Implicate Order 1980. Bohm argued that time is caused by wave motion. He was focusing on Quantum Physics from 1982 Paris ALain Aspect that under certain circumstances subatomic particles can instantaneously communitcate with eachother regardless of distance." Ronald sighs as his brainy love interest continues. "He later concluded that the subatomic particles were not communicating with one another but that their separateness is an illusion. Bohem believed in an individual whole. He named his movement Holomovement." He stated that our universe is a hologram."

She types frantically on her keyboard. While Ronald rest his head on his palm watching her.

Oracle reads on. "Pigeonhole and holographic principles," to BF Skinner and project pigeon, mangetoception, pigeons in war, The story of "CHER AMI". She ends with the Quantum Apocolypse. She read the blog posts over and over. She turns and faces Ronald.  
"How do we know if what we perceive is real?"

Ronald edges nearer.

"Real" is defined by electrical signals that are interpreted by our brain. It effects everything we perceive. It is what we see, what we feel, taste, hear. Our brain uses that data itr receives and forms an image...a picture...that picture is based on our own belief on our memories we have learned to perceive...as "real!"

She takes off her glasses and rubs her temples.

He looks at her. He cannot stop himself as he touches her chin with his hand and lifts up her face.

"This is real."

He leans toward her and kisses her deeply.

She is at first shocked but then gives in and closes her eyes as they kiss harder, moving closer. The sound of her computer snaps them out of their passion. She adjusts her hair and slides toward the screen. "There are so many theories on alternate universes. Mirror universes, fractured universes, multi universes, parallel. Ronald realizing she enjoyed the kiss as much as he did plays along. " For this we need an expert." Ronald finds an article on a Professor Hamilton and snaps his fingers.

"Professor Emil was a former employee of a company called Star Labs. He wrote various articles on his phantom zone projector as well as time ships. He once worked for Lex Luthor."

Oracle leans and gives him a quick peck on the cheek with a wink. "Good job!"

"You know I can work more than the usual 40 hours a week as long as I am paid by your kisses!"

"I'll bet!" Oracle replies with a slight blush.

She then looks for anymore teleportation links and finds Rex Taylor and an article about "miraclo." Rex has many abilities but the most interesting is teleportation, and visions through time, precognition and possible telepathy. An article was published about an android colony he started called Tyler in 2001.

~Coffee and Conversation~

Oracle and Ronald wait sipping the cafe mocha grandes at Barnes and Noble. Oracle suddenly sets her sleeved cup down and stands. "Professor Hamilton?"  
"Thelma Rodgon?"

Barbara nods acknowledging her alias name of her mother and scrambled actual birth name and introduces Ronald as the trio take a seat.

"So what is the urgency of my former employer? You know I don't like discussing that company at all."

"I am sorry to trouble you but it appears that your project may be in operation."

"What operation?"

"Your projector."

"My projector? How did you gain access to that information and who are you exactly? Did Lex send you to spy on me?"

"I assure you, I do not work for Lex Luthor nor do I have any other interest in S.T.A.R. lab experiments other than the one you specifically designed."

She looks side to side than pulls out a pen and writes on the napkin stained with a tiny circle. Phantom Zone. Then balls it up.

The professor's eyes flash wildy.

"Yes, that is my creation. I had nearly finished when Lex pulled the chord on my final steps in testing and told me that I was being replaced by a new employee, set backs he had said as I was tossed aside with a tiny severance packet and a box to pack up before the work day had ceased."

Ronald scoots his chair closer. "Look I know why you are scared and you should be. We are all being watched but anything you can tell us about your experiment and a colony called Tyler may just save us from peril."

"Look, I never got to complete it. They replaced me with Kitty Faulkner. She still works there."

Trump takes a gulp and slams his cup down hard on the formica. "Come on! You expect me to believe you just left without a thing? That you just abandoned your dreams? That you never checked back to see what they may possible be doing with YOUR INVENTION? I have a pretty good hunch that you are not of average IQ and I am not of average IQ either! I grew up near K Street!"

"All right. Yeah maybe I kept a few things, maybe I made it so that some things went missing and yes I did check... I still had lots of friends who agreed that my termination was unheard of...My project was focused on teleportation. I had just begun my experiments with birds. It wasn't until later that I dared try it out on a human. This was way back when I had just joined star labs in 1984. Back then it was an up and coming laboratory. The name stands for The Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories. That first day was the happiest day of my life. Imagine a kid in the candy store...Well I was able to pick my own work, the funds were endless as well as work hours. We were allowed overtime, got exorbitant bonuses, raises and grandiose holiday pay. I was convinced that my boss was the the greatest man on earth. He spoke to us all individually. No one saw him enter on our first day. He would just appear behind us one by one. He told me how he believed in me, in technology, in the ability to defy the impossible." Trump looks side to side then continues in a soft whisper.  
"I had just been begun the end stages of my theory. The only one willing to be a guinea pig was good old Rex. Rex Tyler and I were old friends. We usually ate lunch and discussed our latest work. He was down in corrider C usually deep into lab work for what he called " miraclo." Rex said the miroclo contained a metagene that gave him visions through time. His behavior and mood changed drastically during his dosing and he revealed one day babbling about something called "mindgame." He said it was not your ordinary computer. He said the computer was bored and had connected somehow to ancient databases that had been off circuit for over forty years. He said the machine opened up a World War II program and that the world would soon end if he didn't stop it. He pleaded with me to hurry and finish my work."

Suddenly he leaned with his face in his hands shaking.


End file.
